


Love Me for Who I Am

by VolleyCat



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Moving On, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-07 01:11:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3155222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolleyCat/pseuds/VolleyCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Momotarou fell in love with Gou at first sight. After being rejected, he begins to ask his roommate advice when it comes to love. Nitori himself isn't quite sure how to approach it, seeing as he’s not any better on the subject but doesn't want to disappoint his roommate. As Momotarou's feelings for Nitori grow, he doesn't realize that there's already someone else...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Me for Who I Am

            "I'm really sorry, but I can't accept your feelings."

            Momotarou heard these words uttered out of the mouth of the redhead that was always in his thoughts. He stood there, dumbfounded. He bit his lip, trying to hold back his own frustration and disappointment. Gou forced a smile in an attempt to lighten the already dense and awkward mood that had set in. "It's just that... I really don't know anything about you."

            "Then let's get to know each other better! You know a lot about me already but I can tell you more about--"

            Gou waved her hands in a quick dismissive gesture. "No… no, that's not what I meant." She paused, shying away from his gaze in favor of looking at the ground. Before Momotarou could utter another word, she apologized once more and ran off. He stood in silence, not knowing what he should do next. Rather than fight it, he sighed and began walking back to the academy; opposite of the route his love interest traveled.

            He had been through this situation before a numerous amount of times. He would flirt with girls that he was interested in, but they would all turn him down when he expressed his feelings for them. It was all so much more complicated than he ever anticipated. "Maybe I come on too strong?... or do I not tell her enough about myself?... no..." He just had to accept that she simply wasn't interested in him, which was easier said than done.

            Momotarou opened the door to his room and entered, making sure to take off his shoes and close the door properly. His roommate, Nitori, sat at his desk and was reading over something. "I'm back, Nitori-senpai!" Momotarou announced with a renewed vigor.

            Nitori jumped in surprise at the sudden noise of the freshman entering the room. He turned around just in time to meet Momotarou's face right beside his. "So, whatcha reading? Is it anything good?"

            He blushed lightly, shut the book, and put it away on his desk shelf. "It's nothing. Just something for English class," Nitori replied in an attempt to sound as frustrated with his roommate as much as possible. "Honestly, you get way too excited about what I do."

            "Heh... sorry." Momotarou flopped onto Nitori's bed, much to his roommate's chagrin, and attempted to move himself into an easier talking position. "Hey, Nitori-senpai? Can I ask you something without bothering you?"

            His roommate was hardly paying attention at this point. Momotarou wasn't known for being subtle in what he wanted to say, nor would he take no for an answer when it came to his senpai. All Nitori could do was nod, say yes or no, and then Momotarou would quickly move on to something else. It was just how the way things worked and Nitori was starting to settle into it far better than he imagined. “What is it?” Nitori asked as he began to focus on some of the writing materials on his desk for one of his classes the next day.

            “Um… it’s a little embarrassing, but…” Momotarou hesitated for a moment, trying to think of what words he should use for his particular problem. “Nitori-senpai, do you have someone you like that doesn't like you back?”

            Nitori froze from the writing he was working on. “Why are you asking such embarrassing questions?” Nitori replied. Why would Momotarou even care whether he liked someone or not? To suddenly say something like that was very weird and… very personal to say the least.

            “Nitori-senpai, I need advice on how to get Gou-san to like me,” he whined. Momotarou sat up on Nitori’s bed and looked somewhat annoyed that Nitori didn't get the hint from what he knew about Momotarou’s current crush.

            “Oh, you meant with her,” Nitori sighed in relief, calming down from his misunderstanding. “Well… You know that you can’t really force someone to like you, Momo-kun. You really shouldn't push yourself on her so much.” Nitori himself knew that his roommate’s romantic pursuit for her weren't going to work in the end anyway. According to Rin, it didn't seem like Gou was interested in anyone at the moment… And even if she was, it’s not like Rin would let them get close anyway because of his protective sister-complex.

            “But I’m not,” Momotarou insisted, “I've just talked with her and let her know my feelings is all. It’s not like I’m trying to force her to date me… I just want her to like me a little bit.”

            Nitori finally turned his chair around, focusing his attention on his younger roommate. He’d have to be a bit understanding and sympathetic to the situation. Nitori knew Momotarou didn't know much about romance or even how to talk to a girl under normal circumstances. Hell, he was known to flirt with girls a lot, but even then he never really seemed to be all that successful. They would normally giggle and acknowledge him before walking away. “Momo-kun, you need to understand that if someone says they aren't interested, you need to accept that.”

            The smile that Momotarou had been wearing as he entered the room progressively dropped the more he talked about the subject. “But… I really like her.”

            Nitori looked at him strangely. “Momo-kun, what do you really like about her?”

            “Oh! Well, she’s cute for one… I really like her smile too… she… well, seeing as she’s always with the Iwatobi swimming club, she has to love swimming like I do, and… um…” he began struggling to think of things that he really liked about Gou. In fact, the more he tried to think, the more it dawned on him: he really didn't know anything about this girl.

            “Momo-kun, she doesn't like you that way, and… I’m honestly not sure you really like her yourself.” Nitori was harsh with his words, but they were true. “I’m sorry, I really can’t say I know anything on the subject myself… seeing as the person I like honestly doesn't like me either, but…” he looked directly into his roommate’s eyes, “I think it would be better to focus on someone’s personality first instead of just their outside appearance.” Momotarou became silent, almost as if he was mesmerized by his senpai’s advice. “Maybe that’s just me though,” Nitori chuckled to himself.

            Momotarou shook his head and held Nitori’s hands. “No way, Nitori-senpai! What you said just then was really cool.”

            “Y-you think so?... Thank you.” He was complimented a lot when it came to his roommate but he somehow felt a little touched that Momotarou was taking him seriously for once. He then recalled the warm hands that covered his own and became fully aware of how close the redhead was to him. It was a little embarrassing. Nitori managed to move himself away from his roommate, who was a little bit too close for comfort at the moment, and began inching himself closer to the door. “Um…Oh, since we have some time, how about we go get Rin-senpai and Sosuke-kun so we can all eat something together.”

            “Yeah! That sounds like a great idea! Hold on, I’ll come with you.” It was odd. Nitori was always like this when it came to Momotarou, but it never comforted him as much as today. Maybe it was just the aspect of his heart actually being broken or realizing even more: he never really had a clear-cut reason why he liked someone other than outside appearances. Maybe there really was more to liking someone than that. Would someone just date him for his looks? Would no one ever be interested in his actual personality? It really made Momotarou wonder if there was anyone out there like that for him. He sure hoped so.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you all like the fic so far... The plot to come is going to be a lot more complicated later on, so that's why it's so cliched and boring at the moment, forgive me.  
> This is one of the first fanfics I've written in a really long time. More than that, it's also my first Free! fanfic, so I really apologize for my horrible writing and how it starts off. There's still a lot more to come.  
> Critiques are always welcome. Please, I would like to improve.


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